that wouldn't be a coinsidance: craching+ME...its almost the same word...
I use PowerQuest Partition Magic to copy a drive and PowerQuest Drive Image to make images. The newest version of Drive Image is called V2i and it makes images without the need of rebooting your PC.
I'm not familiar with HD's...is the raptor IDE or SATA?
I don't know how it works with SATA.
And I think updating 98 > Xp will be no problem...
You can ugrade first and then copy or make an image and restore it on the new drive, or first copy or image and upgrading afterwards.
Partiton Magic is very simple...you install the program in windows and create the bootdisks....boot with them and select copy drive or something.
For Drive Image its the same procedure..make disks, reboot and make an image and store it somwhere...then start Drive Image in windows 98/ME and select 'restore image' and put it on the new drive....it will boot without the need to make any changes, just put the new drive on the IDE channel wich has been used for the old Windows and start comp.
I'm not, sure, but maybe drive image can copy disks/partitions ,also.
With V2i you can skip the bootdisks and reboot while making an image, although Im not sure it works that way in 98. You need at least 256RAM.
Hope this helps.